Word count: 1.2k
Rating: G
Tags: Christmas fluff, getting together, Modern Setting, Santa Steve
@steddieholidaydrabbles Day 25: Christmas
AO3
Let it be known that Eddie had never been one to make good decisions. Or consistent ones.
Which led him here, he guessed. Sitting at his computer at two in the morning, on what was technically Christmas Day now because he had sworn to himself he would go to bed at a reasonable time, he was just going to play a few more minutes of his game.
So when he heard something go bump in the night in the dark of his shitty little apartment, he had probably been a little too overtired and not exactly thinking straight.
He had poked his head out into his living room/dining room/kitchen, a small, tiny space with barely enough room to fit a small Christmas tree, but fit a Christmas tree it did, and the sight that met him had him wondering if he needed a carbon monoxide alarm or if he was just straight up hallucinating.
The colourful lights lit up a gentle glow against thick strong arms dusted with hair and moles, the polo shirt pulling tight against his muscles. Large thighs and an even larger ass wrapped up tight in light wash jeans, a hip popped out as this Adonis before him checked off a clipboard with a slightly bored expression over his face.
The entire vision was topped off with a Santa hat sitting perfectly upon a glorious head of hair, falling gently over his forehead, looking like every dashing leading man in every romantic Christmas movie Eddie had ever seen in his entire life.
He will blame his tiredness for what fell out of his mouth, almost in a whisper.
“Is it my birthday?”
The guy checking off a clipboard in front of his dinky little Christmas tree glanced up at the sound, completely unsurprised to see Eddie there. Giving him the once over with an appreciative smirk pulling at those tempting full pink lips, taking in the pyjama pants slung low on his hips and his cropped sleep top, the guys eyes trailed back up to Eddie’s face just before he turned back to the task at hand.
The only lasted for a second though, before the guy whipped back around in shock, staring Eddie straight in the eye.
Eddie just raised his hand and gave him a dumbfounded little wave.
The guy blinked at him.
“You can see me?”
Eddie blinked back.
“Am I not supposed to be able to? You’re not exactly the most cat of cat burglars, dude.”
“Cat burglar?” The guy turned fully to him and Eddie was able to see the polo was pulled tight over a strong chest, a thick thatch of hair poking out over the top and his mouth began to water. “I’m not a fucking cat burglar, man I’m-”
The guy hesitated.
“You’re what?” Eddie grinned to himself, unable to stop the smile coming over his face or the step forward he took, remembering the appreciative look the guy gave him. “My own little Christmas present?”
The guy shook his head, his eyes taking in Eddie’s body all over again.
“What then?” Eddie asked. “Christmas elf?” He followed suit, taking in the full, thick muscled form of the guy in front of him shamelessly. “Shouldn’t you be wearing tights?”
“Not an elf, no. More of the big guy.”
“Big guy is right.” Eddie muttered appreciatively. “Wait… what then, like… You’re Santa?”
The guy shrugged, clipboard all but forgotten now, resting in the hand that was propped casually on that popped hip.
“It’s a family business. I’m taking over from my grandfather.”
Eddie nodded, well aware he should be freaking out more for a variety of reasons but not being able to find it within himself to care much as he stepped closer, the guy tracking him with bright eyes.
“Usually people take over from their parents, or so I’m told.”
“Yeah well, my dad never really had the heart for it.”
Eddie hummed to himself, telegraphing his movements in the hope he didn’t startle the man in front of him. He reached a hand out and when the guy didn’t flinch or back away, Eddie brushed his fingers lightly through the coarse hair peeking out over his polo.
“And how about you, sweetheart? Do you have the heart?”
“Steve.”
“Eddie.”
“I know.” Steve gave his clipboard a little shake, the green foiled holly and red berries bordering the pages, glittering against the lights of the tree and he happily let Eddie fondle his chest hair.
“This might be a little forward, Steve,” Eddie grinned again, tightening his fingers into the chest hair. “But I don’t suppose you need a Mrs. Clause tonight?”
Steve smirked back, his eyebrow cocking up. “I already have a Mrs. Clause-”
“Oh.” Eddie’s grin dropped along with his heart, and he pulled his fingers away but he was stopped by Steve’s hand wrapping around his.
“She’s a lesbian, though.”
“Oh?” Eddie could tell his confusion was radiating off of him. This was not like any Christmas story he’d ever heard before.
Steve shrugged.
“There was a clause in the Santa contract. I was told I’d need a Mrs. Clause in order to take up the position. Marrying my best friend seemed like the best option.”
Eddie tightened his fingers around Steve’s while Steve continued to watch him, biting his lip.
“While I would love to take you up on your offer, Eddie,” Steve had a regretful look in his puppy dog eyes. “I’m on the clock right now and ethically I don’t know if it would be a good idea to fool around with you tonight.”
Eddie shrugged to himself, almost accepting this was some kind of insane fever dream and he was going to wake up with the shape of his keyboard indented into his cheek.
“Can’t blame a guy for trying, right?”
Steve opened his mouth to answer, a sad smile dancing on his face but was interrupted by an insistent buzzing and overly cheerful jingle coming from his pocket.
“Shit, I have to go.”
Eddie brought Steve’s hand to his mouth, placing a kiss along the back.
“That’s alright, sweetheart, you go and bring joy to all the little kiddos.”
Steve smiled at him again.
“It was nice meeting you, Eddie.”
Eddie blinked his eyes open, somehow inexplicably bundled up in his own bed, the bright winter morning sunlight nearly blinding him through the crack in his blinds as he rolled over.
That had been one of the weirdest sober dreams he had ever had in his life.
Maybe this dry spell was getting to be too dry if he was dreaming up hot men appearing in his apartment and calling themselves Santa.
Though if it had been a dry spell dream, surely he would have actually gotten to at least kiss Steve rather than just-
Eddie paused as his hand brushed a piece of paper on the side of his bed.
He picked it up, unfolding it and knew his eyes were almost comically wide as he saw the same foiled holly and berries bordering the paper.
The grin that split over Eddie’s face and the disbelieving laugh that tore out of his throat did nothing to stop his own scrambling for his phone to punch in the number as fast as humanly possible.
AO3
As always, my biggest thanks and much love to @hbyrde36 for the beta work with this and to the @strangerthingswritersguild for their motivation!
